Initially, the Westview Church of Christ spearheaded the churches of Christ relief effort in Colorado.

“We established a distribution site and ‘ground zero’ location on the edge of the flood zone on Monday the 16th. We began serving meals and organizing relief supplies at that time,” said Terry Newton, the minister at Westview, who has been involved with the work there.

The idea for a college missions trip to assist in the relief effort started when the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team contacted OC freshman Marcus Kehn about working with them in Colorado. The DRT sent Kehn an email because he had been active in the organization before, both in Harrisburg, Ill., and Moore, Okla.

Kehn contacted his friend Megan Newkirk, another OC freshman, who was born and raised in Aurora, Colo.

“The opportunity to go to Greeley and aid in some of the recovery is a total blessing because my heart is in and with Colorado,” Newkirk said.

Dean of Students Neil Arter initiated funding of the Fall Break mission trip by Oklahoma Christian. In addition to the school’s donation, the DRT and Westview Church of Christ will provide meals and showers for the students while they are there. Because all the expenses are paid, more students will have the opportunity to serve.

Kehn and Newkirk hope that the students involved can be of assistance in any way. They also hope that everyone can learn from the experience of service, get out of their comfort zones and really grow.

“Serving others is an amazing way to grow stronger in faith,” Newkirk said. “Of course, the students can benefit the flood victims just by showing support and by reaching out to them. Showing love and sympathy can be just as encouraging as building a house.

“The one thing that really helped me when I was struggling with coming to terms with the Aurora theatre shooting was the outreach and warmth from other people. I’ll never be able to pass a chance to give that to another person or community because I know what it’s like to have the ground pulled out from underneath you and to wake up to devastation.”

That is what the mission trip is ultimately about: showing love and support to fellow human beings in need.